


your skirt like a flag

by sandyk



Category: Superstore (TV)
Genre: Abortion, F/M, post town hall, this story is pro abortion and so is the author
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-30 19:05:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15103028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandyk/pseuds/sandyk
Summary: It's the fourth of July at Superstore. Amy wants to set everyone on fire.





	your skirt like a flag

**Author's Note:**

> title from the national's lit up. not mine, no profit garnered. thanks to A!

_And when they light up our town, I just think what a waste of gunpowder and sky - Aimee_

"Oh, it's gonna light the fuck up," Cheyenne said, pacing around. "I am so mad at Bo, so so mad. I'd like to shove a firework up his ass. More than one. A whole bunch, like, at least ten."

"So you're getting a divorce," Dina said. "I never thought your marriage would last."

"Oh, I'm not getting a divorce," Cheyenne said. "Look what happened to Amy. I can't do that."

"Excuse me?" Amy sat back in her chair in the break room. "I'm going great."

"Your life was in tatters, you didn't even have sex with Tate, you were totally poor," Cheyenne said. 

"I'm great now," Amy said. 

"You got pregnant by your ex-husband," Cheyenne said. "And you were on tape all over the world having sex with Jonah."

"Not pregnant anymore, not poor," Amy said. "Not as poor."

"Great, if I get divorced, I'll get an abortion," Cheyenne said.

"None of that was because of the divorce," Amy said.

"You sold your house to pay for the abortion, that seems divorce related," Dina said. "I mean, Cheyenne's being as dumb as a box of rocks like always, but let's not pretend that divorce didn't completely derail your entire life. And you've barely just got the boat back on track."

"Boats don't run on rails, Dina. You guys really are my best friends," Amy said. "I did not sell the house to pay for the abortion. We got a great offer on the house and now Adam and I both have great apartments and Emma has a college fund. We have nice apartments. Mine is nice. And, I actually went to this fund that helps women get abortions to pay for it. I thought about asking Jonah, but. It seemed tacky. Anyway, college fund, empty uterus, Cloud 9 and Jonah's dad's friend making sure no one uploads the sex tape, my life is not in tatters. I start my college courses in three weeks."

"I am not a box of rocks. How useless would that be, who needs a box of rocks? I guess if you had a bunch of things to sink into the river," Cheyenne said. "I know Amy's life collapsed after the divorce because she's Amy and it wouldn't necessarily be the same for me, plus Harmonica is a lot younger, but I don't think I'm ready to give up on my marriage. I could have a collapsing life, too, though!"

Dina said, "You wouldn't. Cheyenne, you have your whole life ahead of you and Amy's only got thirty, maybe forty years left."

"That is not true," Amy said. "I could live to be eighty, you know. Then I'd have fifty years ahead of me. Cheyenne could get run over by a bus tomorrow."

"I don't walk in front of buses," Cheyenne said. "I am not stupid."

"Bo is," Dina said. "Why are you mad at him?"

"He wants to have another kid but I don't. I one hundred percent do not, ugh ugh. Bo says he wants a boy but he doesn't have to get pregnant and he says I should want to be pregnant because maybe we'll have twins and we can sell one and I don't want to sell any of them," Cheyenne said.

"You should not get pregnant to sell your baby," Amy said.

"Well, of course you say that," Cheyenne said. "Just cause you didn't want to."

"I would say that, too, and I am pregnant to sell this fucking baby," Dina said. "The sooner the better, God."

"I could have told you that," Cheyenne said. "Being pregnant in the summer is the worst."

"It so is," Amy said. 

Glenn came in and smiled at Dina and then frowned at Amy. Dina said, "Stop it, Glenn."

"I didn't do anything," Glenn said.

"You frowned at Amy. We've discussed this," Dina said. 

"Yeah, Glenn, you're not allowed to be mad at Amy because it's bringing religion into the workplace," Cheyenne said.

"I don't think that's actually true," Amy said.

"No religion in the workplace," Dina said, practically shouting. 

"Right, but I don't think it's religion in the workplace if Glenn is just mad at me. He can be mad at me," Amy said. 

"You didn't have to do that," Glenn said. "What about life?"

Amy said, "What about me not wanting to be pregnant?"

"That's just selfish," Glenn said. "I'm sorry, Amy, it's selfish."

"Of course it is. It's supposed to be selfish," Cheyenne said. "It's her body, her self. She gets to do what she wants. She doesn't have to have a baby or have two babies, she gets to decide and no one, not even certain people who think they have the right to have an opinion, gets to have an opinion."

"But you had that great offer on the house, you could afford a beautiful little baby," Glenn said to Amy.

"We're not rich now, Glenn. A lot of that money would be gone, even if Adam and I both combined our households, which was not happening. You know, you know right now this very instant that pre-natal care is not cheap. The hospital bill would have wiped us out, and then no work or pay for at least four weeks, then daycare and diapers and clothes and car seats," Amy said. "Most important, I didn't want it."

"People find a way! You found a way with Emma," Glenn said. 

"Do you think you can convince her to undo the abortion? They can't do that, Glenn," Dina said.

"I just wish you had chosen life," Glenn said. 

"If I had, would you or those organizations you donate to, which one was going to pay for daycare? That would have been super helpful," Amy said. "Or part of my medical bills, or just feeding the kid for the next eighteen years, so I didn't run through Emma's college fund? Just wondering."

"N-n-oo," Glenn said. "But they're doing important work."

"Yeah, that person spitting on me as I walked in made some very convincing arguments," Amy said.

"I am amazed at how they got the spit to go so far, I mean, they were behind that barrier and he still got you," Dina said. 

"Maybe it wasn't spit," Cheyenne said. "Oh, not like, I'm sure it wasn't semen or something, but maybe it was more of a spitball shot through a straw."

"That would explain the accuracy," Dina said.

"I don't care," Amy said. 

"The point is, Glenn, we're all done with you being upset about Amy's choices," Dina said. "I put up a sign on the board. Read it and respect it." Amy finally looked at the board and saw the 'NO TALKING ABOUT AMY'S ABORTION' sign. She was definitely taking that thing down the first chance she had.

"Yeah, she made a sign, so you have to do it," Cheyenne said.

"Fine," Glenn said. 

"Since Glenn got the message, I'm taking the sign down," Amy said. She stood up and pulled the stupid thing down.

Glenn sighed. "When is Jonah coming back? I miss Jonah."

"You can watch the tape any time you want," Dina said to him. "You almost get the full frontal monty towards the end, when I came in."

"No one should have that," Amy said.

"But most of us do, okay, we downloaded it," Dina said. 

"Even Bo said it was pretty hot, in places," Cheyenne said. 

"Ew, I never want to know that," Amy said. "Jonah was here during that whole month we were suspended, he can afford a vacation, he's taking it."

"But he's coming back," Dina said, firmly.

"Yes," Amy said. "I talked to him this morning, I'll talk to him tonight. I'll tell him how much all of you missed him."

"I don't miss him," Dina said. 

"Me neither," Cheyenne said.

"I do," Glenn said. "Don't tell him about these stinkers."

Amy meant to find Cheyenne after they all went back to work, but also she had work. Also, she was super hesitant to try and offer Cheyenne advice after the way Cheyenne and her mother had talked to her. She tucked her shirt in and then pulled it out again. Her body was sort of back from being pregnant, but it felt odd to her. Her body felt like a foreign place she was trying to get acclimated to. Everybody did things differently. 

She missed sex with Jonah. She gotten used to it after just a month and now she'd had to go without for six weeks. It was a cruel world. 

 

_This is my life on the fourth of July, it isn't much but at least it's mine - Stephen Kellogg_

Amy was pacing around the warehouse, trying to discover where the hell the shipment of seasonal flip flops had gone. She looked over at the sidedoor where she could get into the tunnel. She was so craving a sugar log. She loved them so much. 

Mateo came in and said, "Oh, you're here. Is it true Jonah drove off to Canada because he's embarrassed about his performance on the sex tape?"

"Not even close, Mateo, and you know it. Why would he wait a month to do that?" Amy realized she was furious. She was gripping her stupid ballpoint pen so hard, she might have been able to break it. If she was super strong or something. Maybe her anger would make her super strong. She was so done with Mateo. She said, "Jonah actually misses you, he asks about you. But you just want to spread bullshit about him."

"Oh, boo hoo," Mateo said. "Jonah can take it. Well, I guess we'll see when he comes back, if he comes back."

"He's told me things about you," Amy said.

"No, he hasn't," Mateo said. "What would he have told you? Oh, Mateo's so attractive and wears the best sweater vests. Come on."

"I know why you broke up with Jeff," Amy said. 

Mateo gasped. Then he said, "You would never report me. You're not going to be complicit with ICE."

"No, of course not. Jonah would never tell anyone, either. I had to worm it out of him," Amy said. "But I'm pathetic and wild and my life is in tatters or it was and you made sure to point it out to me over and over again. So maybe I decide to tell someone. Cause you're pissing me off."

"Someone? You wouldn't dare," Mateo said.

"I would dare, I would dare a lot," Amy said.

"You would never ever do anything to get me deported. I know how you feel about that," Mateo said. 

"Yes," Amy said, frowning. "Fine, it's useless. I really wanted to blackmail you."

Mateo said, "Not interested. You didn't want money, right? I thought you were doing much better since the abortion and house sale."

"I was going to try to make you say nice things about Jonah," Amy said. "And me, frankly. And I know there's no point in appealing to your better nature."

"I have a better nature," Mateo said, acting like he was offended. Amy didn't believe he sincerely believed that. "I do."

Amy laughed. "Whatever you have to say. Jonah can be annoying, but he's always had your back, he kept your secret. And you're an asshole to him. Maybe I'll just tell Dina, how about that?"

"You wouldn't," Mateo said. Weakly. Then he added, "You definitely wouldn't. I know you. You would never throw me to the wolves of ICE, never in a million years. You're incapable, just like Jonah. You two are true Americans. You're what this country should be."

"You couldn't even try to be nice to Jonah? Or me? I guess you're incapable of that," Amy said. She found one box of the flip flops and tried to stomp out, even though the damn box was bulky and hard to maneuver. She wasn't even close enough to Mateo to drop it on his foot. 

_And I miss you in the June gloom too - Fall Out Boy_

"What did you do to Mateo? He's being weird," Garrett said. He had rolled over to her as she was unpacking the flip flops. Naturally everyone else had disappeared as soon as Amy had maneuvered over the box.

"He's always weird," Amy said. 

"We were just talking, about things and stuff, and suddenly, just when we hit the fun part of the conversation where we all make fun of Jonah. But Mateo says nice things about Jonah, it was so strange," Garrett said. "I assume you're blackmailing him."

"I tried," Amy said. "But I couldn't do it. Maybe I got through to his better nature after all."

"No way, no better nature exists," Garrett said.

"So he's just like you, no better nature at all," Amy said. 

Garrett frowned. "Don't take your sexual frustration out on me."

"It's not sexual frustration," Amy said. "It's just plain frustration with you. I do miss Jonah because I actually like him."

"Okay, I'm not in the mood for this again." Garrett was rolling his eyes. "I'm very sorry I sat outside and didn't tell the two of you your sex life was broadcasting to the whole world. Blah blah."

"Yup, it's just blah blah blah. Whatever, Garrett," Amy said. "You wanna help me with this? Or just insult me and Jonah?"

"You know I prefer the second," Garrett said. He rolled away, thankfully.

After Amy finished the flip flops display, she breezed by the gun counter where Dina was buying bullets. Dina said, "I don't feel like staying awake for the fireworks, so I figure shoot some bullets into the sky, go to bed early."

"You're not supposed to do that," Amy said. "You could kill someone."

"I was kidding," Dina said. "I just like to be prepared, I'm low on ammo. My personal protection is vital especially since I'll soon be completely hampered by this Sturgis spawn in my uterus."

"Did you talk to Cheyenne today? No, wait, I don't care," Amy said.

"Thanks, Amy," Cheyenne said from somewhere behind Amy. "That's great to hear."

"Well, the last time we talked you were referring to me as your worst outcome," Amy said. "I think I have some justification." She sighed. "Was everyone always this mean? I feel like Dina is my only real friend here and half the people I thought were my friends are just assholes I hang out with and I pretend they're okay people."

Dina grinned. "I am your best friend."

"I like you," Cheyenne said. "I'm just being honest."

"No, Dina is honest, you and Mateo just have fun judging people and belittling them," Amy said. "God, whatever. I know I'm being too harsh but you guys are mean. And I miss Jonah."

"Is he really on vacation?" Dina was struggling to keep up with Amy as she marched through the story and she was trying to look like she wasn't struggling. Amy wondered why she found that so endearing and yet every single thing Cheyenne and Garrett did was irritating. 

"His parents made him go, so it's not his ideal vacation, but it's still very relaxing," Amy said. "I know I'm being really irritable, I totally know, but ugh." She threw her hands up. "Just ugh. I'm so sick of everything. I want to set the world on fire."

"Can we start with Bo?" Cheyenne smiled. "I am so sick of him."

"You won't be in a few days," Amy said. "We all get excited you might actually break up with him and then you don't and we all feel like assholes for telling you how we really feel about him."

"You are really in love with that asshole word today," Dina said. "Do you need some synonyms? Shitstain, barfhead, jerkhole - I can keep going."

"I like fucktard," Cheyenne said.

"Nope," Dina said. "We both know where the second part of that word came from. I don't use that word. No one should use that word."

"That's a no no word for you?" They had reached the break room. Amy opened her locker and started grabbing her stuff. It was so time to go home. 

"Of course it is, I'm not a fartbrain." Dina sat down at a table and tried not to visibly pant. It wasn't working but Amy wasn't going to say anything. 

"Do you guys want to see fireworks with me? I know this guy who can get us on the roof of a place downtown, it's a pretty great view," Cheyenne said. 

"I'm up for it," Dina said. "Is it a really high roof? The higher the better."

"You don't have to prove you're tough," Amy said. "I'm going to bed early, honestly."

"I have nothing to prove," Dina said. "I hope it's a really high roof. I can do it."

"Of course you can," Amy said. 

_So won't you just say goodbye it's Independence Day I swear I never meant to take those things away - Bruce Springsteen_

Amy actually drove to a park she used to take Emma to. There were families parked, kids and parents lying on the front hood of their cars. Amy stayed inside her car. She took out her phone and called Jonah. It took him a few minutes to answer, like usual. 

"Happy fourth of july," Jonah said. 

"I bet yours is happier, you didn't have to work with barfheads," Amy said. "They're not that bad, but they are kinda that bad."

"They're not that bad," Jonah said. He scratched his cheek and then dropped his hand. "I'm getting out in two weeks, I promise."

"Are you going to steal a car and drive home before your parents put you in another institution?"

Jonah smiled. "They're not putting me anywhere. I mean, besides here, and I was voluntarily committed. They were just very worried. I can see their point of view."

"They're not the ones who have to go six weeks without having you around," Amy said, pouting. 

"They sort of are," Jonah said. "But I miss you, too."

"I miss you more," Amy said. "I'm positive about that."

"It's true, group therapy is pretty scintillating," Jonah said.

"Is it actually helpful?"

"Of course it is," Jonah said. He was always so optimistic. "I'll be home in two weeks, promise. Are you watching the fireworks? Remember my first year when you and me and Carol and Sandra and Dina were on the roof at Cloud 9?"

"I do," Amy said, smiling. "That was really fun."

"We'll do it again next year. Without Carol," Jonah said. "She's creepy."

"She's a real jerkhole," Amy said. She kissed the screen. "Does that look gross?"

"You tell me," he said and kissed his screen. 

"Weird, not gross," Amy said. That was kind of her whole life, she thought.


End file.
